Fact Check

Did CNN Report that a 'Trump Voter' Shot a 'Mentally Ill' Mass Shooter?

A routine review of content labeled satire.

Published Jan. 7, 2020

 (Getty Images/Stock photo)
Image Via Getty Images/Stock photo
Claim:
CNN reported that a Trump voter shot a "mentally ill" mass shooter.

On Jan. 2, 2020, the Babylon Bee published an article positing that CNN had reported a "Trump voter shot a mentally ill man in a Texas church" during a mass shooting:

CNN: 'Trump Voter Shoots Mentally Ill Man In Church'

ATLANTA, GA — Churchgoer Jack Wilson shot and killed a mass shooter at West Freeway Church of Christ, preventing what could have been a much worse shooting.

But CNN reported on the event with the headline and caption "Trump voter shot a mentally ill man in a Texas church," causing some to question whether CNN might be a biased source of news.

This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

The Babylon Bee is the world’s best satire site, totally inerrant in all its truth claims. We write satire about Christian stuff, political stuff, and everyday life.

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.

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